The MSc Investigative & Forensic Psychology is a one year, full-time postgraduate programme. It is accredited by the British Psychological Society annually and recognised as the first step towards status as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist in the UK for students who have Graduate Basis for Chartership. The course is also recognised by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as a Research Methods MSc and students taking this course are eligible for the ESRC 1 + 3 studentships.

The MSc provides students with a high quality, balanced postgraduate programme of research and academic knowledge including, awareness of professional, legal and ethical issues, and practical, communication and dissemination skills in Investigative and Forensic Psychology. The programme takes a three-tiered approach.

Students begin with structured sessions on conceptual and theoretical issues (including aggression, sexual violence and deviance, decision-making, leadership and stress, memory, communication and persuasion, and the psychology of crowd dynamics).

They then appreciate how these and related issues can be applied to forensic practice and its legal context (in terms of crime reduction and intervention studies; investigative procedures, forensic interviewing, court processes and proceedings, assessment, custody and rehabilitation).

Finally, they gain skills in communicating knowledge and conducting relevant research on case assessments of individuals and organisations

• Crime analysts and principal crime analysts working for police forces
• National and International Police forces
• Behavioural investigative advisors
• Medium/high security prisons, psychiatric units or hospitals.
• Home Office
• Probation services
• Youth offending teams
• National Policing Improvements Agency
• Office for National Statistics
• PhD’s
• Research associates
• Lectureships
• PsychD Clinical Psychology
• Fraud investigators
• Ministry of Defence
• Security Services (MI5, MI6)
• Defence and Science Technology Laboratory
• Expert witness
• Professional consultancy
• Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
• Mobile phone cellsite analyst